A special magical tool provided within the Akadeumi (Academy).
This magical tool, shaped like a small tablet, was equipped with a feature that allowed users to send messages.
It also had a function to check news and announcements within the Akadeumi, but since it had such features, students ended up calling it a “messenger.”
Unfortunately, this messenger could only be used inside the Akadeumi.
The circuits that transmitted the magical tool’s signals were only installed within the academy.
But, well, for Akadeumi students who rarely had any reason to leave, this limitation didn’t really matter.
However, the Akadeumi didn’t just hand out this awesome messenger for free.
Well, they did give it out, but with some discrimination.
The upperclassmen had unlimited message-sending capabilities, but for the middle class, there was a daily limit of 150 messages, and for the lower class, it was a weekly limit of 300 messages.
Of course, if you only used it when necessary, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But do you really think kids this age would only use it for official purposes? Even if not all of them, most would probably use it for private conversations.
Especially Seria. She was so intense that it felt like a blessing she didn’t have any limits.
[Seria: Rudion. Are you awake?]
[Seria: I just came back from Lilith’s room.]
[Seria: I swear, you would’ve been shocked.]
[Seria: You should’ve seen how messy her room was, Rudion.]
[Seria: Your room is tidy, right?]
[Seria: I’d like to see it sometime.]
Why does she have so much to say? Sending me a message bomb every night before bed is her daily routine.
My room is tidy, but the wall’s broken, so I can’t show it to you.
And why are you even trying to enter the male Gisaengsa (Dormitory)? That’s against the rules, you know.
Even though this messenger is excellent for conversations… I didn’t have anyone else to send messages to or receive them from besides Seria, so it was pretty much sealed away.
I carried it around just in case, but I turned off all the notifications and left it buried somewhere.
-*Beep!*
So when it went off during class, I was like, “What the heck?”
Thanks to that, I ended up drawing a lot of attention during the lecture. Reina, who was teaching, and all the students turned their eyes to me.
I sneakily took it out to check, and there was a message from Alkiné.
[Alkiné: If you’re seeing this message, please come to the Student Council immediately. It’s a new Rift.]
Judging by the lack of any specific names, it seemed like the message was sent to all Student Council members.
Considering the weird sound it made, it was probably sent as an emergency alert.
Think of it as a kind of disaster alert that only authorized people can send.
Seria, sitting next to me, glanced at my messenger and spoke up.
“You should probably go.”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.”
She then glanced at her own bag… but unfortunately, her messenger remained silent.
Of course. Alkiné wouldn’t involve a newbie like her in Rift exploration.
I’m just a special case, that’s all.
“I’ll work hard to catch up quickly too.”
Even though she tried to act like it was nothing, she looked pretty down.
But honestly, there’s no need for that. Seria’s current level is more than enough to join in.
I saw her using magic when she was showing off during Lilith’s training, and it was definitely not something she should be capable of at this point.
If Alkiné had seen it, she would’ve seriously told you to join in too.
By the original story’s standards, she’s around mid-second year? She seems to be at that level, and by that point in the original, Seria was already solidifying her position as the top student. She might not be able to solo everything, but she’s definitely strong enough to be a valuable asset for exploration.
Next time there’s a chance, I’ll put in a good word for her. She seemed really upset about not getting a single message.
Anyway, since I’ve been called, I should hurry over.
The lecture can wait. I don’t really need to know about the intricacies of mana understanding right now, and Student Council activities come first anyway.
You might wonder why, but it’s because if the Rifts aren’t handled, the Academy will be in trouble, so there’s no choice.
“Professor, the Student Council has called for me, so I think I should go.”
“Go ahead.”
After explaining the situation to Professor Reina, I got her permission easily.
“Come back safely.”
“Yeah, study hard.”
“…Stop treating me like a kid.”
And to Seria, who still looked a bit down… I threw in a joke like usual.
“Already getting called by the Student Council, huh?”
“I knew she was on a different level, but I didn’t think she’d be strong enough to be a key player there.”
“I really feel the gap…”
People around were murmuring something, but I couldn’t hear it, and it didn’t seem important, so I didn’t pay attention.
As soon as I left the classroom, I headed straight to the Student Council.
Even though I was called with an urgent message, it didn’t seem that pressing, so I didn’t rush like before.
When I arrived and stepped inside… I felt some uncomfortable stares.
Seems like the news about me getting an executive position had already spread.
Despite those reactions, Alkiné… shamelessly greeted me like nothing was wrong.
“You’re here. Sit over here.”
She even saved me a seat. Right next to her, no less.
Stop doing stuff like that, President. Every time you do, the Vice President looks at me like she wants to kill me.
After sitting down, we waited a bit longer until all the Student Council members except Seria had gathered.
Once everyone arrived, Alkiné immediately stood up.
“Alright, since everyone’s here, let’s head out.”
There wasn’t much explanation. What the Student Council does when a Rift opens is always the same.
Even on the first day, the main goal is just to scout the entrance of the Rift and gather information, so there’s no need for grand preparations.
“Why does it open again after just a week?”
“Is it another weird Rift like last time?”
“Hey, don’t even joke about that.”
“I was the one who got hurt last time, so why are you making a bigger fuss?”
Some of them were chatting lightly like that.
But maybe that light conversation was a red flag.
On the way to the Rift, Grain’s expression suddenly hardened.
“President. Something seems off.”
They even went as far as saying it outright.
So the light atmosphere sank a bit, and everyone headed toward the Rift at a faster pace than before… But the moment they arrived in front of the Rift, they all froze stiff.
Because there, right before their eyes, was a Rift that looked completely different from what they knew.
*Grrrrrrrr-*
The Rift, which was supposed to be calmly holding its ground… was squirming violently, making sounds as if it was about to burst at any moment.
Not to mention, the red aura that was supposed to emanate from the core of the Rift was gushing out uncontrollably from the Rift itself.
Of course, it seemed like only I could see this, but when I put all the information together, there was no need to consider any other possibility.
This is a sign of a Rift going berserk.
I urgently asked Alkiné, “President. Do you know how long that Rift has been here?”
“It’s been about an hour.”
“I’m going to lose it.”
Normally, a berserk Rift happens when it’s left unattended for too long. The energy inside builds up without being processed, and eventually, it bursts and spills out.
But that usually takes at least a month. An hour? No way… Unless this is also affected by the difficulty level? Like, in this difficulty, Rifts on the verge of berserking naturally spawn? Is that it?
But overthinking it was pointless. Even if I knew the truth, the Rift in front of me wasn’t going to stop going berserk.
First, I needed to assess the situation. I glanced around and noticed everyone was just on edge, unsure of what to do.
It couldn’t be helped. Honestly, this world’s system is surprisingly well-established, so Rift berserking incidents near inhabited areas are practically nonexistent.
That’s why, unless you’re a seasoned veteran who’s seen it all, knowledge about this is pretty lacking.
Especially for the Student Council, who deal with Rifts as soon as they appear—this is even more unfamiliar.
Sure, they’ve probably learned about it in theory, but theory and practice are two different things.
Just in case, I asked Alkiné, but even she just shook her head.
“I’m ashamed. I’ve heard there are many cases like this in my hometown, but I’ve never experienced it myself.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
Even though the north is a place where Rifts pop up like clockwork, she was just a kid when she was there.
Expecting someone who had their first Rift experience in the Student Council to have northern experience is just weird.
If Alkiné’s this clueless, I didn’t expect anyone else to know better.
Ah, seriously. I was planning to quietly contribute and leave this time, but it’s all ruined now.
I approached Alkiné, who was racking her brain trying to figure out how to handle the situation, and made a suggestion.
“President. There are two options.”
“What are they?”
“One is for you and me to go in there and deal with the core as quickly as possible.”
“And the other?”
“Just let it burst, and when it turns into a mess, call the Academy for help.”
Even if we go in now, it’s not guaranteed we can handle it, but it’s better than doing nothing.
If we fail, we’ll just naturally go with the second option.
Just go through the portal.
Of course, if the gate goes haywire while we’re inside, we might get kicked out along with the monsters and end up surrounded… But I can just dodge and run around, and Alkiné can slice them all up in a few moves, so it’s not really dangerous.
…Why am I going in, you ask? Well, I gotta rack up some contribution points, duh.
After hearing my explanation, Alkiné naturally chose the former option.
But after making the choice, she seemed to have some doubts and asked me a question.
“Do we really need to go in together? If we’re just finding and dealing with the core, wouldn’t it be more efficient for everyone to go in?”
“You want us all to go into that unstable thing? Do you even know what could happen?”
If we all went in as a group and failed the mission, we’d be scattered and thrown out. And right alongside the monsters inside.
Then we’d each have to find our way out… Honestly, it’s nerve-wracking.
It’s not that they’re weak. My stats are way lower, and I can’t just ignore the Student Council’s strength.
But the things coming out of the rift are just too unpredictable, so it’s hard not to feel uneasy.
Unless you have overwhelming power like Alkiné, who knows what could happen?
There’s already a precedent, right? The last rift distortion incident.
Sure, it was a mess because of the Demon Race back then… but even the mutated monsters were on a level where handling them individually would’ve been tough.
Alkiné knew that too, so she couldn’t really argue against my point.
“I feel bad relying on you like this, especially as the Student Council President… but I guess I’ll have to follow your lead for now.”
“What’s there to feel bad about? We help each other out when we don’t know something.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
So, Alkiné and I decided to tackle the rift separately, while the rest of the team stayed nearby on standby, ready to respond if the rift went berserk.
“President! Why are you taking *her* with you? You should be taking me instead…!”
When I announced this to everyone, one guy gritted his teeth and objected, but it wasn’t enough to change what had already been decided.
Honestly, in terms of combat power, it’d be better to take the vice president… but eh, in unexpected situations like this, an experienced player is better even if their specs are lacking.
Alkiné’s also kind of fed up with Diggerus’ obsession, so she’d never ditch me and choose to go with him instead.
The others also looked at me with questioning eyes, but since I’d given them their positions as officers, they just figured I had my reasons.
“Why… why are you taking someone like her…?”
Leaving Diggerus muttering behind us, Alkiné and I stepped into the rift, which looked like it could burst at any moment.
